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Be warned…

Venting ahead. I don’t like doing this. But I will explode soon, and since talking gets me absolutely nowhere…

So, I have been forced to make a choice between selling books and raising my children (verses letting them run amuck) and staying married, and all of that jazz that I cannot possibly do while spending three hours a day on social media, plus writing, designing my own book covers… yada, yada.

So, book sales are down. I get that. I knew it was coming. What I don’t get is why those people I know face-to-face don’t give a damn. All I really ask is that they take the all of three seconds to like a FB post and share it. I don’t even insist they read the book. (I suspect that would send them over the edge anyway.) I have asked friends to leave me a review IF they read any of my books. But they don’t do it. I try to gently nudge. They make excuses. They ask me for favors. I do them. I ask them to like and share a post. They ignore it instead.

Am I invisible here! Am I too nice? Do I need to be a b*tch? (They seem to get all the perks!)

Yes, I am a social misfit. I couldn’t small talk myself out of a paper bag. I am an over-read bookworm who actually has the audacity to use words like…. Audacity… (Gasp.)

If you prick me, do I not bleed?

If I talk to you, and you act like I don’t exist, do I not notice? Or do you just assume the DOG is too stupid?

I am sick of people I go to church with (yes I said it, so sue me) telling me they care about me, then zoning out as soon as I try to talk to them. (Yes, I can tell you are going through your grocery list in your head. I am a fiction writer. I see these things…) If it wasn’t for my children, who really like Sunday school, I would walk out that door under the steeple and never return.

Mind you, I put God and Church into two separate categories. (It’s for the sake of my sanity.)

Oh, yes, this is the point where you nicely tell yourself I am an egotistical diva and need to get over myself. Yada, yada—I’ve heard it all before. Go ahead and skip over that post I need you to share so badly, even though I was there for you when your cat died. Who cares anyway. It’s just a stupid book.

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14 thoughts on “Be warned…”

Been wondering this for a while now. I’ve done likes and shares all over FB, which are never reciprocated. Honestly, I just kind of stopped after I felt like I was being used or ignored. My friends and family don’t even talk to me about my books anymore unless it’s to ask if I’m ready to get a real job or they see that my Amazon rankings are down. Reviews are rare and I’m wondering if I should be begging for them. I actually told my non-computer friends to not do reviews on Amazon because all of them would make it clear they know me personally, which seems to bring in trouble at times. Yet, I don’t even get the help of other authors at times. There are a handful of people that I help and they help me, but it seems to be a very small group.

Sorry to hear that things are so hard. As I said on Facebook, I’m always willing to toss up a guest post from you if you need. Have you tried a Goodreads giveaway recently? I’ve been considering that for myself.

Thanks, Charles. You’ve always been so helpful. I did a Goodreads giveaway. Had 400 or so entries. Sold 0 books, even though I dropped the price to .99! Sigh… I guess it’s not even the low sales that get me. It’s the utter lack of support.

I’ve always been unclear on how the Goodreads giveaways help exactly. I wish they’d allow for eBooks in there since my paperbacks are pricey and oddly shaped.

So with you on the utter lack of support out there. It feels like I was a curious novelty when I started, so people were helping out for fun. Now they’ve realized I’m serious about being an author, so the shininess of the situation has faded. I know a big thing now is joining a review group where you have to read/review other authors in the group in return for the same. My strained schedule makes that a near impossibility though.

Yup, that sounds like my experience too. Maybe people willing to devote their whole lives to marketing and networking do well? I just can’t do that, with three kids…. Darn me for wanting to KNOW my own children!

Aww, shucks! Sorry you’re feeling this way. 😦 Miss you, my dear. I wish my life weren’t so crazy busy, but . . . three kids here, too, and writing, homeschooling, etc. Feel free to vent if you need to. I’m barely on social media anymore. I try not to pay attention to the numbers, just do my own thing. Hang in there. Love ya!

I wish I could understand Facebook but I have either no brains for it or no time. Not sure which. I’m always late when I go there and a like or comment seems silly two days later. I do agree on the folks helping observation